Perhaps the best thing to see when visiting Cumbria during the autumn is the spectacular display of autumn colours from the deciduous trees and vegetation. The leaves on the trees go from bright green to shades of yellow, orange, red and brown all within the space of a few weeks. The striking kaleidoscope of colours is really something to behold and even a simple car journey with the children can be awe-inspiring! With the panoramic views across the lakes with the most amazing reflections in the crystal waters of clear skies, and hundreds of acres of hillsides, trees, grasses, and hedgerows changing from lush summer greens to reds, yellows and golden browns. How lucky we are to be able to appreciate this! Here on the Estate, you can appreciate this with your feet on the ground and your glowing pink cheeks in the fresh air! We have a 200-year-old North Park Wood – a heritage ancient woodland – which you are free to wander through and many other small pockets of beautiful woodland. They are home to some of the oldest woodlands in the area and are the perfect place for leaf-kicking and taking full advantage of the autumn colours.

Do you fancy enjoying the autumn scenery from a warm, bubbling hot tub? Book a break in one of our Lakes Wood or Stargazer lodges or cottages where the hot tubs sit in enclosed gardens with glorious panoramic views over the Solway Firth; ensuring you can enjoy the outdoor autumn colours even when the temperatures drop. 

If heading out and about to see more autumn colours, head to Dodd Wood (just a 20-minute drive away). Take a walk up to the Dodd summit for a spectacular view over Bassenthwaite and Whinlatter Forest where the autumn colours will look like a vast blanket of orange over the fells, or take a Lakeside walk.

Seed Gathering Season begins on 22nd September and runs for a whole month. Run by the Tree Council, Seed Gathering Season encourages everyone to gather seeds, fruits and nuts to nurture the seeds of the future. Please only gather seeds if you intend to grow them, or leave them happily to germinate themselves and preserve our future forests and hedgerows.

Here on the Estate, we’ve got plenty of space for you to collect all sorts of fantastic seeds such as conkers, pine cones, winged seeds and more. If you are staying on the Estate, please feel free to collect them on your walks, take them home and grow your very own tree from seed! As well as helping the environment, you will have your very own bit of Blaithwaite at home!

The Tree Council has a fantastic guide on collecting and growing your seeds.

As the weather turns there is nothing better than a pint (or a hot chocolate) in a pub after a day out enjoying the autumn colours. Our Blaithwaite bar is open on selected weekends, please see our event calendar or lots of pubs in the area will start to light their log burners and open fires to create a warm and inviting place to enjoy a pint. There really is nothing better than sitting beside an open fire with a pint of locally crafted Cumbrian ale after a day of exploring. 

There are of course lots of pubs to choose from (or stumble upon whilst out and about) but some of our favourite local pubs close to Blaithwaite are The Grey Goat Inn in Baggrow, The Oddfellows at Caldbeck or The Sun Inn at Red Dial. Heading a little further The Pheasant at Bassenthwaite Lake road end or The Sun Inn at Bassenthwaite Village or The Kirkstile Inn at Lorton all have a fantastic selection of local ales, a great atmosphere and a cosy fire to sit by.